In the Asian Games final between India and Afghanistan, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad led India to a gold medal victory, but it wasn’t the ideal scenario due to a rain-affected summit clash.
Following the women’s team’s success, the men’s team replicated their achievement. Gaikwad stuck with the same playing XI from the semifinal against Bangladesh. Winning the toss was crucial, and India opted to bowl first on the moisture-laden pitch, resulting in a 20-minute delay due to rain.
The Indian bowlers, including Shivam Dube and Arshdeep, made early breakthroughs, reducing Afghanistan to 5 wickets down. Spinners Ravi Bishnoi and Sai Kishore contributed with two more wickets.
Afghanistan staged a remarkable comeback during the latter half of their innings. Shahidullah Kamal and Afsar Zzai, forming a formidable partnership for the fourth wicket, engineered a 37-run stand.
Though initially struggling at 52 for five in the 11th over, Afghanistan staged a remarkable resurgence to reach 112 for five in the penultimate over.
However, the rain once again disrupted proceedings in Hangzhou. After a prolonged delay, the officials ultimately abandoned the match. India, as the higher-seeded team, was declared the winner, clinching the gold medal. Afghanistan, despite their valiant effort, settled for silver, marking their third silver in the tournament’s history.
Take a look at the reactions of the cricketing community and enthusiasts on the social media platform X:
Heartiest congratulations to the Men’s Cricket Team for winning Gold at the Asian Games.#AsianGames
— Anil Kumble (@anilkumble1074) October 7, 2023
From the crease to the podium, our Indian cricket team's journey ends with a golden finish! 🏆🥇
— DK (@DineshKarthik) October 7, 2023
What a fantastic win at the #AsianGames.
Congratulations boys! 🥳🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/5jAE68fs72
Congratulations @Ruutu1331 and team on making the country proud at the #AsianGames ! Golden times ahead for Indian Cricket 🥇🏏🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/fZACyVnTZE
— S.Badrinath (@s_badrinath) October 7, 2023
A big congratulations to our Men's Cricket team for their amazing performance at the Asian Games. Congratulations to all the players!#AsianGames
— Cheteshwar Pujara (@cheteshwar1) October 7, 2023
🥇 for both boys and girls in Cricket at the #AsianGames well done, 🇮🇳👏👏
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) October 7, 2023
Our Indian stars at the Asian Games have achieved a 'Sona-Chandi' feat, bagging over 100 medals in style. 🌟🥇🥈
— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) October 7, 2023
The nation is proud of you all. Chak De Phatte 🕺🏻✨ #AsianGames
The Men’s Cricket team's performance at the Asian Games is nothing short of incredible. Kudos to all the players for this remarkable achievement.💪🏾 pic.twitter.com/WmVZ0tkbaG
— Robin Aiyuda Uthappa (@robbieuthappa) October 7, 2023
Last Updated on October 7, 2023
Senior Sports Copywriter
